Escalation of the Nuclear Arms Race

Question 1

Trusteeship for Former Japanese-Mandated Islands

Answer 1

Apr 1947: UN granted control over Mashall Islands to USA, geopolitically strategic region that allowed USA to conduct tests for most powerful weapons without disclosure, tests mostly took place on the atolls

Question 2

Able experiment

Answer 2

Jul 1, 1946: Bikini Lagoon, atmospheric test, 21 kilotons, sunk target skips, radiation exposure

Question 3

Baker experiment

Answer 3

Jul 25, 1946: underwater test, Bikini Lagoon, devastating environmental effects, 21 kilotons, killed marine life, released oil that destroyed coral reefs, contaminated marine life, radioactive mud was dumped onto the atoll and lagoon

Question 4

thermonuclear (H) bomb

Answer 4

Russian development and testing of NWs made USA turn to development of a more powerful weapon that uses nuclear fusion to result in a fireball

Question 5

General Advisory Committee (GAC) Report

Answer 5

Oct 30, 1949: headed by Oppenheimer, discussed if a thermonuclear weapon should be made, concluded that it shouldn’t be due to severity of destruction of env and humankind

Question 6

Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) Report

Answer 6

Nov 25, 1949: written by Lewis Strauss, recommended that the H bomb should be made to ensure that USA be well-equipped, compete with USSR, have military advantages, etc., Truman decided to proceed with the thermonuclear bomb and justified this as protection of national security and peace